The same company that was awarded the contract by the city of San Antonio to redevelop the 36-year-old Tower of the Americas landmark wants to develop a multi-story destination restaurant/entertainment attraction on the famed River Walk.

Plans call for the conversion of a four-story building at 110 Crockett into a multimillion-dollar Rainforest Cafe and Retail Village project that would be owned and operated by Houston-based Landry's Restaurants Inc.

The themed restaurant chain is best known for its use of tropical sights and sounds, complete with a combination of live and state-of-the-art animatronics creatures -- ranging from elephants and primates to snapping crocodiles, slithering snakes and other wildlife indigenous to rainforest environments. Among the more popular features are giant saltwater aquariums filled with hundreds of fish representing more than 25 species from around the world.

Other Rainforest Cafes also feature simulated rainstorms, lush vegetation, cascading waterfalls, majestic rock formations, shooting stars, tropical music and cool mists. They also include a Retail Village component stocked with an exclusive line of clothing, as well as a wide variety of rainforest-themed items -- such as home accessories, jewelry, bath products, educational tools, food, games and toys.

Jeff Cantwell, senior vice president of development for Landry's, says there is a letter of intent in place between Landry's and the owners of the property the restaurant chain is seeking to redevelop.

"Anything can happen. But it looks good," says Cantwell.

Bigger presence

Among those who are familiar with the talks is Marco Barros, executive director of the San Antonio Area Tourism Council. Barros says he has visited a Rainforest Cafe in Orlando and is familiar with its drawing power.

"It's a great concept. I think this will work well here," he says.

Landry's had been a minority shareholder of Minneapolis-based Rainforest Cafe Inc. But in 2000, Landry's inked a deal to acquire the company for approximately $75 million, according to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, a sister publication.

Landry's currently has 25 Rainforest Cafe locations in the United States and another 10 outside the U.S. borders.

Is San Antonio next in line? Earlier this year, Landry's President and CEO Tilman Fertitta told the Business Journal that his company was "looking to expand" its presence on the River Walk. The company currently operates a Landry's Seafood House and a Joe's Crab Shack along the famous downtown waterway.

Says Cantwell, "We're really excited about the opportunities in San Antonio. We've wanted to put a Rainforest Cafe there for some time."

Cantwell says Landry's officials are meeting with local officials and conservation groups and hope to finalize plans in time to break ground before the end of the year. The targeted opening is tentatively set for the end of 2005.

Cantwell says on average, these Rainforest Cafe projects cost upwards of $7.5 million to develop. He says the goal would be to utilize as much of the space in the four-story River Walk structure as possible.

Mixed reactions

There are three Rainforest Cafe locations in Texas -- one each in Galveston Island, Grapevine and Katy.

The Galveston location features an erupting volcano and a Rainforest River Adventure Ride. The ride allows guests to travel recreated rain forests of the world aboard a six-person raft and includes replicas of Mayan and Asian temples.

Not everyone was pleased with the announcement of the Galveston development. A number of citizens were concerned that Landry's expansion would encroach upon that city's historic charm.

Here in San Antonio, Landry's won the contract to renovate and operate the 36-year-old Tower of the Americas. Its proposal calls for an investment of more than $9 million to redevelop that facility -- built for HemisFair '68. Those plans have been delayed as Landry's and city officials continue to negotiate.

Fertitta says "there are no skeletons in our closet." Instead, he believes the company has received undue criticism from some quarters "because of who we are."

Who Landry's is, according to Forbes magazine, is a company that owns and operates more than 280 full-service restaurants that generated revenues of more than $593 million for the first six months of this year.